The People Have Spoken! We Have a Winner in our Tree Seat Contest

Aug 20, 2014 9 years ago


When working on the design of Tree Seats, UCD’s next seating project, we asked ourselves, what do people want in an outdoor seat? Through observations of our public spaces and their users we have found that people like choices, they like safety, they like a good view, and in our hot Philadelphia summers, people seek shade. This is well-represented with the design theory called Prospect-Refuge, which concludes we seek places that allow us to observe our surroundings and provide us a sense of comfort and protection.

Over the years trees have frequently been listed as elements in the urban landscape that make people feel more comfortable and protected. Additionally, people often tell us that they like to sit in the gentle shade of a tree. We hadn't seen an outdoor seat that embraced a tree without causing it harm, and was built to withstand the rigors of streetscape life. With a generous innovation grant from The Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, we sought a way to develop an outdoor seat around a tree that could survive in a streetscape environment, allow flexibility in its use, and give people a sense of protection from the busy street and hot sun, all without hurting the tree.

The UCD Tree Seats became the embodiment of these ideas. We designed two prototype models, had the materials sourced and fabricated locally, and placed them in front of our office to let people vote. The three-sided seats allow people to shift angles so they can always find the cool shade of the tree, discouraged them from sitting facing busy Chestnut Street, and allowed enough space for people to set down a bag or have a friend or two join them. Both models feature foot rests to encourage people to take it easy, and both were sturdy and well-built, giving people a sense of comfort and protection.

Traditional fixed benches are often underutilized, but that was not the case with our Tree Seats. We had hoped for, and were delighted to see that the Tree Seats, once installed in front of our office, became placemaking devices. The sidewalk outside our office that had served primarily as an entry/exit to our office and the adjacent police station or as a thoroughfare for pedestrians proceeding along Chestnut Street. Once the seats were installed, people immediately started to use them and they became a small gathering space. We noticed an unmet demand for areas of respite along this car dominated corridor, and it turned our entry/exit into a welcoming public space. We hope the placemaking success we saw in front of our office becomes a common trait of our Tree Seats once they are installed, and we will seek locations that offer the same potential.

Throughout the month of July we asked the public to vote on their favorite of the two designs, and we are happy to report the overwhelming winner was The Carlton. When explaining why they preferred the Carlton, people cited the lighter curb feel, the resiliency of the Carlton’s design, how the Carlton will allow for rainwater to pass through the slats, and how the Carlton will be easier to repair if damaged.

The Tree Seats had such a positive impact on our office that we have decided to keep one of the units (The Will) in front of our office for good. Thank you to everyone who voted, and look for more of the Carlton units on the streets of University City this fall.